Kirkman made a….stylish? entrance to the Comedy Bar stage after raiding the backstage prop and costume stash. Fur vest, blonde wig, and helmet – perfect for her over-the-top runway walk. Things got weirder when she remedied the mysterious lack of on-stage stool by bringing out a wheelchair from backstage, precariously setting her drinks on the seat.

“Why don’t they make wheelchairs that hold wine glasses?”

It was an unexpected start to fun and relaxed show, which include some interaction with couples in the audience, and a woman in the front row who inexplicably chose to air out her Converse by putting them on the stage. The first half was full of travel tales, including Kirkman’s own experience with a dim-witted Canadian Border Services agent earlier in the day (they do make us proud). She talked about her experience of being married and getting divorced – still not final after two years, she says – only briefly touching on the childfree theme of her book.

Bewildered out-of-town comics commenting on the noise bleed from the bar during their first show is practically a meme at this point. Kirkman had one of my favorite comments to date, as the crowd for Mantown grew outside: “It sounds like you guys are listening to a football game.”

Easily losing track of time, Kirkman went well over her hour, but still elicited a few whines of “aww!” from the audience when she announced her closer.

About the Author

Sharilyn Johnson is the author of the book Bears & Balls: The Colbert Report A-Z. Called "one of the city’s most discriminating comedy critics” by NOW Magazine, Sharilyn has been covering comedy for longer than she cares to admit. She served as the comedy reporter for Winnipeg's Uptown Magazine for five years, and was the host of the radio show Laugh Tracks for three seasons. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, the Winnipeg Free Press, The Apiary, and on CBC Radio's national comedy programs LOL and Definitely Not the Opera.